Ms. Tomoko YOSHIHIRO, Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan, and each representative of recipient organizations from Yangon Region, Kayah State and Ayeyarwady Region signed the grant contracts for six projects on 14 March 2018. The Government of Japan, under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) Scheme, will provide a total of US$ 554,078 as follows:

1. The Project for Construction of the National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Training Center in Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon Region (US$ 90,312) ;
2. The Project for Construction of Daw Ka Mee Village Basic Education Post Primary School in Demoso Township, Kayah State (US$ 90,674) ;
3. The Project for Construction of Pu Hpar Village Basic Education Primary School in Dimoso Township, Kayah State (US$ 53,243) ;
4. The Project for Construction of Paw Thit Village Basic Education Branch Middle School in Hinthada Township, Ayeyarwady Region (US110,736);
5. The Project for Construction of Hpa Yar Kone Village Basic Education Branch High School in Hinthada Township, Ayeyarwady Region (US$ 85,413); and
6. The Project for Construction of Kyar Ga Yet Basic Education Branch High School in Hinthada Township, Ayeyarwady Region (US$ 123,700).

Myanmar will start to apply the modern OSH (occupational safety and health) concept in various industries through the enactment of new OSH legislation. Under this background, there comes the need of providing OSH trainings to the representatives of workers and employers. However, the related department and its social partners do not have proper training center to provide such trainings, and this poses a huge obstacle to establishment of modern safety and health working environment. Therefore, the Government of Japan will provide assistance for construction of a three-storey Reinforced Concrete (RC) training center in Hlaingtharyar area, one of the largest industrial zones in the country. The project will directly benefit 4,190 representatives of workers and employers participating in the training per year.

Daw Ka Mee Village, where all villagers are Kayan nationals, is located in Demoso Township, Kayah State. Due to the insufficient number of classrooms, the villagers constructed 2 temporary huts in Daw Ka Mee Village Basic Education Post Primary School. The students are exposed to wind and rain while they are studying, because of the lack of proper walls and ceiling. Although the school will start accepting the enrolment of new G7 students, there is no proper classroom. In order to provide an appropriate educational environment, the Government of Japan will provide assistance for construction of a one-storey Reinforced Concrete (RC) building with 4 classrooms, full furniture and lavatories. The project will benefit 252 students of the school.

Another school in Demoso Township, Pu Hpar Village Basic Education Primary School, has a building constructed with wood by the villagers, and the size of each classroom is smaller than that specified by the government. Therefore, students are studying in a congested classrooms exposing to wind and rain. In order to tackle this issue, the Government of Japan will provide assistance for construction of a one-storey RC building with 2 classrooms, full furniture and lavatories. The project will benefit 160 students of the school.

Paw Thit Village Basic Education Branch Middle School is situated adjacent to the Nga Wun River, where the erosion of the river bank occurs every year. Due to the risk of submergence in near future, the Ministry of Education has decided to relocate the school to nearby hilly place and construct a new school building with 3 classrooms. However, as the number of classrooms is still insufficient, the Government of Japan will provide assistance for construction of a one-storey Reinforced Concrete (RC) building with 6 classrooms, full furniture and lavatories. The project will benefit 158 students of the school.

Hpa Yar Kone Village Basic Education Branch High School is the only one high school in the surrounding 24 villages. Therefore, many students who have graduated from other primary or middle schools attend this Branch High School. However, as the number of classrooms - 8 classrooms in 2 buildings and 1 classroom in a temporally building - is insufficient, 123 students have to learn at the nearby religious facilities. Moreover the structure of the temporally building is very simple and the building has exposed to wind and rain during the rainy season. To tackle this issue, the Government of Japan will support the construction of a one-storey Reinforced Concrete (RC) building with 5 classrooms, full furniture and lavatories. The project will benefit 540 students of the school.

There are 4 school buildings in Kyar Ga Yet Basic Education Branch High School. Among those 4 buildings, 2 old buildings have very simple structure without one-side wall. And yet, the students are studying in those buildings due to the shortage of proper classrooms. Besides that, 59 students have to learn in a neighboring religious facility at the moment. In order to secure a proper learning environment, the Government of Japan will support construction of a two-storey R.C.C. building with 6 classrooms, full furniture and lavatories. The project will benefit 478 students of the school.

The Government of Japan has assisted 863 various grass-roots projects in Myanmar under the GGP scheme since 1993: the number consisting of 432 education projects, 201 healthcare projects, 140 public welfare and environment projects, 55 infrastructure projects and 35 other projects. It is expected that these assistances will further strengthen the existing friendly relations between Japan and Myanmar.